What if it started differently?
by Chosen Girl
Summary: In the first year Draco Malfoy is put in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. He has to deal with rejection from the Gryffindors, verbal abuse from the Slytherins and his Fathers reaction to which house he is put in. Throughout the year he attempts to gain th
1. The Sorting Hats big Mistake

Summary: In the first year Draco Malfoy is put in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. He has to deal with rejection from the Gryffindors, verbal abuse from the Slytherins and his Fathers reaction to which house he is put in. Throughout the year he attempts to gain the respect of Harry, Ron and Hermione, and try's to alienate himself as much as possible from his father..

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fan-fic so if it's not very good then I'm sorry. Please R&R.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; sadly, it all belongs to J.K Rowling

Chapter 1: The Sorting Hats Big 'Mistake'

The great hall was buzzing with excitement, just as it normally did at the start of a new school year. Some were chatting about what their new lessons would be like this year, some were catching up on all the gossip they had missed over the summer holidays and others were pondering on which house their younger siblings would be put in.

The double doors to the great hall burst open and Professor McGonagall entered carrying a four legged stool, the sorting hat and a long piece of parchment, she was closely followed by the first years. She led them up to the teacher's table, put down the stool and paced the hat upon it. Everyone went silent and watched the hat expectantly. The hat began to sing a song about the different houses, just as it did at the beginning of every sorting ceremony.

Once the song had finished applause rang through the hall. The applause died as Professor McGonagall stepped forward and unrolled the parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." she told the first years.

Each of the first years shuffled backwards as though it would stop them being the first one to be called off the list. "Granger, Hermione", Hermione walked forward, she looked very pale. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on Hermione's head. There was a short pause, then the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR".

A loud applause came from the Gryffindor table. Hermione stood up and walked to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat next to Percy Weasley. A few more students were called forward and sent to different houses and then, "Weasley, Ronald". Ron shuffled towards the stool, is freckles appearing more noticeable than ever. The hat was placed on his head and it instantly called out "GRYFFINDOR"

The three older Weasley brothers stood up while clapping along with the other Gryffindor's. Ron stood up looking very pleased with him-self, and half ran to the Gryffindor table taking a seat opposite Hermione, grinning from ear to ear. After a few more pupils were called forward, to be sorted, there were only two more students waiting, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

"Potter, Harry", Harry walked forward nervously, he couldn't help noticing everyone at the Slytherin table leering at him threateningly and most other people whispering about him excitedly. The hat was placed on his head and everything in the hall went still, waiting.

Seconds passed, then, "Hmm are you sure? Yes? Very well. Better be GRYFFINDOR." Applause rang through the hall louder than it had been for any other student, the Weasley twins even jumped up on to their stools singing "WE GOT POTTER, WE GOT POTTER." Harry walked to the Gryffindor table, his cheeks slightly red and sat next to Ron.

Professor McGonagall looked disapprovingly at the Gryffindors until the noise died down. "Malfoy, Draco", Draco strutted forward, seeming very confident. Most people in the hall that came from wizarding families knew about the Malfoy's reputation so therefore expected the hat to call out 'Slytherin' instantly, but it didn't. There was silence for at least a minute, and with each second that went by; Draco seemed to be getting paler and paler.

"Hmm, another difficult one. It's very strange, but I suppose every family has a black sheep at one point or another." there was a lot of low mumbling when the hat said this. Crabbe and Goyle, who were sat on the Slytherin table, seemed to have only just realised that something out of the ordinary was happening, and started cracking their knuckles.

"Hmm, very odd, but I suppose you belong in GRYFFINDOR". Draco's jaw dropped, as did many other students. A low hum of whispering filled the crowed. "A Malfoy, in Gryffindor", "There must be a mistake", "Wait till Lucius hears about this", "Who wants to bet 5 Galleons that his father will have killed him by tomorrow?"

"Well Mr. Malfoy, off you go to you house table." said Professor McGonagall, she sounded calm but Draco could tell from the look on her face that she was completely dumb-founded.

Draco stood up, it felt rather odd because he couldn't feel his legs at all; it was a lot like walking on air. Disturbing images of what his father was likely to do to him swam through his head, but then, no, his father couldn't touch him while he was at Hogwarts, not with Dumbledore around. At least that is what Draco hoped. _'Well, as long as he can't hurt me while I'm here,' _Draco thought. _'but, what about the holidays? The second I step foot in the mansion he'll kill me, literally. I can probably avoid him for the rest of the year, until the summer holidays, I don't know what I'll do then.' _

No one on the Gryffindor table applauded as he came and sat down, but he didn't care, he didn't want the approval of mudblood loving freaks. He took the only remaining seat, which was next to Hermione and opposite Harry.

The expressions on the Gryffindors faces were mixed, some were glaring at him, others looked curious and other just looked plain scared, Hermione however was looking at him as though he was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. He wished they would stop looking.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and everyone fell silent. "First years, welcome to Hogwarts, and all other students, welcome back. I hope all the first years found the sorting hats judgement on which house they were put in … adequate." Dumbledore glanced at Draco, his eyes twinkling, smiling slightly. Draco didn't see how this was in any way funny.

"First years should know the forest on the grounds is out of bounds, there are also a few older students that should also remember this." Dumbledore paused and coughed a very strange cough that sounded very much like 'Fred and George Weasley'

Smiling very slightly at his own humour, Dumbledore continued, "Also, Mr Filtch, our caretaker has asked me, once again, to inform you that there are a great number of objects that are not aloud in Hogwarts, and will be confiscated if anyone is found with them. If you wish to see what these items are you can view the list that covers most of the door of Mr Filtch's office, and I know from experience that if you can't see it you should seriously consider having your eyes tested. Now before you go to bed there is one thing you must do, tuck in."

As food appeared on the plates all along the house table's chatter broke out through the hall. However, the Weasley brothers and Harry were all glaring at Draco.

"You lot have a problem?" Draco asked, exasperated.

"Um, why exactly does everyone seem annoyed that this boy is in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked, looking curiously at Draco.

Draco snorted with laughter, "What, you've never heard of my family before? You _must_ be a mudblood." At this Hermione suddenly became very interested in her knees while she ate. Gasps and glares came from everyone that had heard what Draco had just said, apart from Harry, who looked completely bewildered.

"Five points from Slythe … I mean Gryffindor." said Percy bossily; looking very pleased with himself all the same.

"What's a mudblood?" asked Harry.

"Well it's a really foul name for someone who is muggle born." Ron replied, looking at Draco as though he was an extremely unpleasant piece of dirt. Hermione cleared her throat loudly.

"What?" Ron asked irritably.

"I believe I asked you a question." Hermione replied, avoiding looking at Draco as she spoke.

"O righ." Ron said through a large mouth full of chicken leg. He forced the whole lot down quickly and chocked slightly before he carried on, Hermione looked disgusted. "Well isn't it obvious why we're all annoyed, I mean he just called you a mudblood for gods sake. You do know what a mudblood is don't you?"

"Of course I know, even though I'm muggle born it doesn't mean I haven't read any books on wizards, plus I just heard you telling Harry what a mudblood is so…"

"Yeah yeah, I get the point." Ron rolled his eyes. "Anyway, everyone knows that his family," he nodded his head towards Draco. "are a load of Death Eaters. That's why he should be in Slytherin, there isn't a single wizard that went bad that wasn't in Slytherin." When Ron said this Hermione looked at Draco again as though he was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

Draco ignored her and retorted to Ron, "Until now that is, I'm bad, but I'm not in Slytherin am I."

"Are you really sure about that?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"Am I sure about what? That I'm not in Slytherin? Uh let me think … yeah I'm pretty sure that I'm not in Slytherin." Draco said in a voice that sounded oddly like Crabbe's. "Gosh, mudbloods are stupider than I thought."

Draco had hoped that this would offend her again but to his surprise she just laughed, "No that's not what I meant. I meant are you sure your really bad?"

"Oh right, of course I'm sure, that scruffy hat just made a mistake" Draco replied, then added under his breath, "Stupid bloody mudblood, thinks she's so clever."

"Hm, okay of course it was a mistake, how silly of me to think otherwise, a very big mistake to make though isn't it?" Hermione said, an odd smile on her face, she looked unconvinced. Draco could tell she was taking the piss but he didn't see that it was worth getting upset over; she was only a mudblood after all, but still he couldn't help thinking about what Hermione had said. 'Are you sure your really bad?' what had she meant by that? Of course he was bad, but then he thought about what the weasel had said 'There's not a wizard that went bad that wasn't in Slytherin.' As much as he hated to admit it Draco couldn't help thinking that Ron had a fair point.

Draco was so lost in his own thoughts that the feast seemed to be over before it had begun, Dumbledore had stood up and announced that I was time to go to bed, and Percy started issuing order to the rest of the Gryffindor first years. "Right, could you please form a line, no I said a line, a line is something that's straight, not all wonkey. Ron could you please tuck that shirt in, I expect better from my own flesh and blood. Malfoy, I know you think you're above the rest of us but that's no excuse to not join the line like everyone else. Right, thank you. Now could you all follow me please but make sure that you stay in a neat and orderly line."

The first years slowly made their way to Gryffindor tower, stopping every now and then to get back into 'a neat and orderly line' under Percy's instruction. Finally they reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"Password?"

"Chocolate frogs." Stated Percy importantly, puffing out his chest. He seemed very pleased that he had the honour of being the first person to know the password. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry who laughed quietly. The portrait swung forward to let them through.

"The boys dormitory is up here, at the very top of the staircase." Percy told them, pointing at the door. "Well off you go then."

The boys walked up the steps to their dormitory. As they got ready for bed Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus talked among themselves, ignoring Draco. Draco couldn't help feeling upset, but he couldn't let them know that.

"Hey, you, what's your name?" Dean Thomas asked him.

Draco was about to answer, when Ron interrupted him. "I wouldn't talk to him if I were you Dean. He has a problem with anyone whose patents are muggles."

"Oh right, thanks mate." Dean said to Ron, giving Draco a disgusted look.

Once Draco was in bed it was a long while before he got to sleep, and once he was asleep visions of what might happen to him when he got home after the school year was over, haunted his dreams.

A/N: I hope everyone likes this, fingers crossed. Please review and be honest, but don't be too nasty. I'll only update if I have at least 5 positive reviews


	2. The Dream

A/N: Okay, I've decided to forget about what I said about only updating when I have 5 reviews, cos that's not gonna happen now. I can only update on weekends though because I'm always really busy on the weekdays with schoolwork and stuff. Also, I have to keep on going into hospital because I have a bad knee, so that takes up a lot of my time too, but I promise I will update as much as possible. BTW. Thank you so much, everyone that reviewed and I'll remember all the advice you all gave me for the other chapters. (Plus don't worry Draco will soon have some friends but remember it will take people a while to trust him)

Disclaimer: All the characters and places belong to J.K Rowling.

Chapter 2: The Dream

Draco ran down the dark windowless hallway. Doors covered most of the walls surrounding him, but every one he tried to open was locked. Panic rose inside of him, this was the end; there was no way he could get out.

He heard steady footsteps behind him, but he didn't dare turn around, he was scared of what he might see. He gave up trying to open doors and sped down the seemingly endless hallway.

After what seemed like forever he reached the door at the end of the hallway, but just like all the others, it was locked. The situation was becoming desperate. Draco took hold of his wand and said one of the few spells he knew. "Alohomora."

There was a small click. Draco grabbed the handle and opened the door, expecting to see yet another long hallway, but what he found was much worse. Towering above him, around ten feet tall, was a huge growling dog. It was the strangest dog Draco had ever seen, not only was it too big for the room it was in, but it also had three heads.

The footsteps were drawing nearer. Draco didn't know which to choose, which was worse, being eaten by a giant dog or being cursed.

Before Draco had time to decide, the footsteps had stopped and someone was stood right behind him.

"Avada Kadevra." Roared Lucius Malfoy. There was a flash of green light. The last thing he saw was a small trap door underneath the three-headed dogs feet…

Draco sat up straight, his sheets clinging to him. He and the whole of his bed were covered in a cold sweat. He looked around; everyone else in the room was sat up in bed staring at him.

"Thanks a bunch, Malfoy, we _were_ asleep until you started yelling and everything." Ron stated glaring. "'No dad, don't kill me Dad.'"

Everyone laughed at Ron's imitation, except Harry who gave Ron a look that plainly said 'That's mean.'

Dumbledore was stood in his office looking through a large, oddly shaped telescope. A loud tapping came from his door.

"Come in." he called without looking up from the telescope. Professor McGonagall walked into the room; her face seemed more serious and stiff than it usually did. Her look turned to concern as she saw what Dumbledore was doing.

"Albus, I don't think you'll be able to see much through that telescope." She said as though she was scared for his sanity.

"Why's that Minerva?" Dumbedore asked. He seemed not to have noticed the tone in her voice.

"Well, it's daylight."

Dumbledore looked up from the telescope to look at the sky and a look of surprise formed on his face "So it is. I didn't notice."

"Are you feeling alright Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Should I fetch Madame Pomfrey?"

Dumbledore chuckled, "No, I'm quite alright Minerva, I've just been wondering if we made the right decision, concerning the boy."

"Well that's what I came to see you about actually, now that I've seen the poor boys reaction. He must be so scared, he knows as well as we do, maybe even better, how Lucius reacts to things like this."

"Yes, but it's possible that we might be able to shield him from that."

"Well we can while he is in school, but what about the summer holidays? He can't avoid Lucius then, can he?"

"Well no, not unless things go the way I planned." Dumbledore replied smiling.

Professor McGonagall knew that it was useless asking what these plans were, she had tried many times over the summer holidays, but each time she asked Dumbledore seemed to go temporarily death.

"Well you ought to go now Minerva, breakfast is due to start in ten minutes and you still need to collect the Gryffindor timetables from the staff room."

Draco entered the half full great hall, still badly shaken from his dream. He was annoyed but oddly grateful at the same time that Harry had been silently sympathetic towards him at what Ron had said. Part of him didn't want the sympathy of someone who was supposed to be his enemy, yet another part of him was glad that there was at least someone that didn't look down on him and understood that he was also a human that has feelings.

Draco sat as far away from the rest of the Gryffindors as possible. He looked longingly at the Slytherin table. _'Things would be so much easier if I was sat over there' _he thought _'Sure, I don't really want to be in Slytherin but, wait, did I really just think that!' _As Draco came back to his scenes he noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering and pointing at him. He looked away quickly.

"Mr. Malfoy, here is your timetable." Professor McGonagall said from behind him, handing him a small piece of parchment. "The name next to each lesson is the name of the person you will be working with in that subject for the rest of the year."

Draco looked down at his timetable, and groaned as he saw that in every subject he was pared with Harry, Ron or Hermione.

He looked down the list of subjects for that day.

_MONDAY_

_9.00-10.00am: Potions (Harry Potter)_

_10.10-11.10am: Transfiguration (Hermione Granger)_

_11.10-11.40am: Break_

_11.40am-12.40pm Charms (Ronald Weasley)_

_12.40-1.40pm: Lunch_

_1.40-3.40pm: Double Defence Against the Dark Arts (Hermione Granger)_

Further up the table Draco heard Ron saying loudly, "I can't believe I have to be his partner in Charms! I hate that slimy little git. Hermione, I feel really sorry for you, you have to put up with him in _two_ lessons!"

Draco felt a strong urge to punch Ron but before he had time to even stand up to walk over to him, the owls arrived with the mornings post. Draco gulped as his large eagle owl landed in front of him, a letter addressed in his fathers writing clutched in its beak. He took the letter, his hand shaking, and opened it. The letter was shorter than Draco had expected.

Draco 

_Be at the lake in the school grounds at 4.00pm today. Make sure you are there, I will know if your not._

_Your Father_

Panic rushed through him. Why did his father want him to be at the lake at four o'clock? Was he going to meet him there? No, he wouldn't dare, would he? _'No.'_ Draco thought, his father would never come up to the castle; he was too scared of Dumbledore. He felt slightly relieved, but not entirely, even if his father couldn't come to the castle he could still hurt him.

At nine o'clock that morning the Gryffindors and Slytherins filed into the Potions classroom and took their seats, Draco was sat alone. The door burst open, making everyone jump.

"Why, may I ask, are you not all sat by your assigned partners?" Snape spat as he entered the room. Most of the class groaned and moved to sit by their partners. Draco hated to admit to himself that he was glad that he had someone to sit by and covered it by glaring at Harry as he sat down next to him.

"Put away your wands, you will never use them in this lesson anyway, and take out your quills. As this lesson is just an introduction to Potions we will only be writing."

The class groaned again. To Draco, the lesson seemed much longer than an hour. He, like everyone else had been keen to start learning magic straight away. Snape took every opportunity he could to take points from Draco; he even took away five points because Draco's quill was scratching too loud.

Once Potions had finished, the Gryffindors and Slytherins set off towards the Transfiguration classroom, hoping that it would be more interesting than Potions had been.

It turned out that Transfiguration was just as boring as Potions. The whole lesson was spent looking at theory.

Just minutes before the lesson finished Professor McGonagall said to the class, "For homework could you please write an essay with your partners on the theory that we have covered in this lesson. It's due in next Monday. Off you go then."

Draco was now sure that his day couldn't get any worse. On top of having to work with Harry, Ron and Hermione in all his lessons and the letter he had received that morning he now had to spend ages doing an essay with Hermione Granger.

Three-forty finally came, well that was everyone but Dracos view on it. Draco would have quite happily let the days lessons carry on forever rather than face whatever was coming at four o'clock. As the bell rang Dracos stomach gave a horrible lurch.

"Um, Draco." Hermione said timidly to him, as though scared that he might bite her head off.

"It's Malfoy to you, Mudblood." Draco said to her glaring. He instantly regretted saying it, he didn't want people to hate him forever. _'From now on I'm to stop calling her that, she's one of the few people that isn't constantly horrible to me.'_

"Okay, right, sorry Dra… Malfoy. I just wanted to say that I think we should start that Transfiguration homework today, you know, to get it over and done with."

"Right, what time?" Draco asked. He really didn't want to start the homework that day, but he thought it was better to just do it than start an argument.

"Um, is four o'clock okay?"

"No, I have to be somewhere at that time. I'll meet you in the library at four-thirty." Draco said, and surprised himself by smiling at her.

Hermione smiled back and said, "Okay."

Draco looked down at his digital watch. It read '3:59pm'. He had never told his father that he owned a digital watch. He knew that he would find it too muggle like. His mother had bought it for him; she didn't care about how muggle like things were. Draco sometimes suspected that his father had forced her into marrying him. She had told him the one time that she thought he, Draco, was a fool for following in his fathers footsteps. He couldn't help agreeing with her at times.

Draco was sat at the side of the lake, waiting. He didn't know what to expect. He suddenly heard a loud screech from overhead. He looked up and saw his large eagle owl hovering over him, a letter clutched in its beak. It dropped the letter onto Dracos lap and flew through one of the castle windows, which Draco suspected was the owlry.

Draco let out a sigh of relief as he saw that the letter was from his father. At least he now knew that his father wasn't coming to the school to attack him. Draco ripped off the envelope and began reading the letter.

A/N: So did you all like this chapter?


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